I thought this was an interesting thought, which I picked up from “Greenmantle”, a novel by Charles de Lint; I’m paraphrasing, not quoting.

The mystery of the Lord of Nature is present in his diverse forms. He reflects back what is brought to him.

In Gaul & Britain his title was Cernunnos (horned one). In Wales he was called Mabon.. Germanic people knew him as Uller, the Winter Bowman. Greeks knew him as Apollo, Romans as Orion; in Egypt he was the bowman Amen Ra, and Osiris; to the Hindus he was Surya, and in the biblical book of Genesis he was Nimrod, the mighty hunter. He was a solar god, a huntsman and the hunted himself as the mighty stag, and thus he is lord of animals. As the Green Man he is in human form covered with leaves. As the trickster he is Robin of the Hood and Pan, and Coyote.

So you can see he has many guises, but what makes it a mystery? He is different because people are different. If you approach him with fear, he fills you with panic. If you approach with lust he appears as a lecherous satyr. If you approach with evil he becomes a demonic figure. If you approach with reverence he becomes a majestic figure.

This is really interesting Bonnie, thank you. I am just in the process of trying to discover more about my vision of the God, and finding ways to honour Him, as well as the Goddess in the circle. {You know I'm a beginner here} I am considering celebrating at some other phase of the moon, not full, in order to give a greater feeling of balance. Perhaps at the first quarter.Any folks thoughts or ideas on that subject welcomed.Blessed beHelen

Hi Helen - hmmm, I always think symbols are good ways to link to the images we perceive, i.e., animal (horns, hoof, claw, tooth), vegetable (greenery, oak/ash stang) or mineral (phallic-shaped rocks). Place the symbols at an outdoor shrine or a special nook indoors.

Most often we think of the Goddess figures as lunar, and the god-figures as solar (there are always exceptions), but as such, we can work with the sun (fire) and the equal-arm cross sign. Any solar festival would be prime time to celebrate, or on any of the sun's day of the week (Sunday). Times of sunrise and sunset would be auspicious as these are the gates of the sun's motions when it enters and exits the horizons, where as noon and midnight are the hinges, so to speak.

We can use the moon-phase considerations if we want to work with his under-world nature in any of the seasonal harvest, death-resurrection themes, then use the times of the waning moon, esp. last quarter. These are the moon phases of decreasing light and represent descent to the underworld.

I find the God fascinating, because you can deliberately approach him in different ways depending what you want from him! I find him in different landscapes in my journeys, too, and that says as much about who he is on the day as anything!

Once when I was newly single after 10+ years, he introduced himself to me as the "god of sex", with a twinkle in his eye! The weather in that place was very hot and sultry. Shortly after that I had the most tumultuous (but satisfying!) rebound affair, which only lasted a month, and near broke my heart when it ended, but afterwards I was healed and settled. Ready to rejoin normal life!

In some aboriginal traditions the sun is a goddess who chased the moon god across the sky, but all my European genes guide me toward sun gods and moon goddesses!